Research reveals a connection between children’s sleep issues and young adults’ psychosis

New research suggests that children who experience chronic sleep deprivation from a young age may be at an increased risk of developing psychosis in their early adult years.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham reviewed data on the length of sleep at night from a large cohort study including children ages six months to seven years old.

During this period, they found that children who regularly slept fewer hours were more than twice as likely to acquire a psychotic illness in early adulthood and were almost four times as likely to have a psychotic episode.

This is the first study to demonstrate that a continuous lack of sleep is a substantial predictor of psychosis, despite the fact that other studies have shown correlations between sleep issues and psychosis at certain times.

“It’s entirely normal for children to suffer from sleep problems at different points in their childhood, but it’s also important to know when it might be time to seek help,” said Dr. Isabel Morales-Munoz, the lead author. We detect correlations between persistent and chronic sleep problems and adult mental disorders in this context.

“The good news is that we now understand how to change our sleeping habits and behavior. Parents can address the contributing component of continuous sleep deprivation, even if it may not be the only cause of psychosis in early adulthood, according to our findings.”

Based on information from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which has records of 12,394 children from 6 months to 7 years old and 3,889 at 24 years old, the findings were reported in JAMA Psychiatry.

Despite the study’s strong correlation between sleep deprivation as a kid and early-life psychosis, the researchers did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, and more research is necessary to identify other variables linked to both childhood sleep and psychosis.

For instance, the researchers examined the children’s general immune system health to see if immune system deficiencies may possibly be the cause of some of the correlations observed between sleep deprivation and psychosis.

Nine-year-olds were checked for this by having blood samples’ levels of inflammation measured. The association between sleep deprivation and psychosis may be partly explained by a compromised immune system, but other unidentified variables are probably equally significant.

The National Institute for Health and Care study funds Dr. Morales-Munoz’s study as part of the Mental Health Mission Midlands Translational Centre, which is directed by the University of Birmingham. Its goal is to evaluate and certify therapies for pediatric and adolescent depression and early psychosis.

“We are aware that assisting young individuals with mental illness requires early intervention. Acquiring and testing focused therapies that might really help young people with mental illnesses or at risk of acquiring one is one of the top focuses of the Midlands Mental Health Mission Translational Research Centre of Excellence. A crucial step in this process may be realizing the connection between sound sleep practices and mental well-being.”